There are more than a few key ingredients to managing a successful ROI based advertising campaign. But, there’s only one way to make sure you will be successful in the long haul: stay positive and within yourself no matter how rocky things get on the ride to the finish line. Here are a few lessons I’ve pinned down over the years that have worked for me:
#1: Don’t ever let subpar media performance discourage the road to success
I’ve been involved in countless flops that haven’t tested well out of the gate. Sometimes it’s the offer, or the timing or the media vehicle. The key is to flush out the culprit and reload the test with what you’ve learned. Ask your media partners and vendors to invest in relaunching the test with you.
#2: Don’t be influenced by the naysayers and glass half empty brigade
How easy it is to dismiss sub-par advertising performance as legitimate failure. (After all, it’s about one in ten campaigns that find true success.) It’s the experienced marketer who recognizes worthwhile ingredients in an underperforming campaign and transforms that campaign back to life. Stay positive and keep the negative thinkers at a safe distance.
#3: Mistakes made in the heat of a campaign can turn out to be opportunities in disguise
How many times do we make mistakes in the testing phase of creative offers, media placements or seasonality, only to discover the mistakes created a new learning experience. They can also be scaled and monetized far greater than our original campaign intentions
#4: Keep Calm & Carry-On is not just an old ad slogan
Positive thinking will always out maneuver the negative we’re forced to confront along the road of every ad campaign. Surround yourself with positive people who’ll generate the energy that produces successful work. Stay calm when a campaign performance falls off track and use patience and strong positive energy to steer it back.
#5: Keep it loose and have some fun while you’re at it
David Ogilvy once said “Where people aren’t having fun they seldom produce good work”. Help to create the work atmosphere that inspires and allows ideas to flow without judgement. This is how truly great advertising campaigns are made.